Insulating cell



March 10, 1925.

' D. FINLEY INSULATING CELL Filed Dec. 29 1919 INVEN'IOR Dozier Era/6 mimessz pm LA ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. .10, 1925.

UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

DOZJIER FINLEY, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE PAIR AIFFINE COM- PANIES, INQ, OF SAN FRANCISCO}, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

INSULATING CELL.

Application filed December29, 1919. Serial No. 348,021.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Dozrnn FINLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oakland, county of Alameda, and State of California, have invented a new and useful Insulating Cell, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to thermal insulating cells for construction purposes.

An object of the invention is to provide an eflicient thermal insulation in the form of a construction unit. f

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction unit of the character described whch is impervious to water, and which possesses such inherent strength that it can be handled and transported without special protective measures;

The invention possesses other objects and features of advanta e, some of which, with the foregoingy'will e set forth in the following descrlption of the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawings and description, as I may'adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of one of my insulating cells, a portion of the top wall and packing being broken out to disclose the structure. Flgure 2 is a vertical sectional view throu h the cell. The plane of section is indicate by the line '22 of Fi ure 1. Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through a wall insulated by my cells.

In building refrigerating rooms and similar structures cork blocks are customarily used for insulation. Because of inherent qualities such blocks will absorb as much as 40% of their weight in water. Furthermore cork blocks possess but little inherent strength and are easily broken in handling. Broadly expressed, it is an obiect .of the present invention to provide a substitute for cork blocks, and one which will be superior to cork in insulating values, proof against absorption of moisture, and possessed of inherent strength ample to protect it from injury with ordinary handling. I accomplish this'result by providing a preferably rectangular box or cell formed of a light material .wide and 36 inches long.

are use such as fiber board, and packed with a light insulating material such as fibrillated redwood bark. The cell is closed and hermetically sealed and may then be used as a bricklike unit in constructing an insulating wall.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the cell comprises abox of any desired size, but which conveniently may be 2 inches thick, 12 inches It may be constructed after any desired pattern, but preferably is formed with side flaps 2 turned inwardly to a flush joint 3, and end flaps 4.

overlying the side flaps and cemented thereto by sodium silicate or other suitable adhesive. In order to seal the joint 3 a stripfi of heavy paper is adhesively united to the side flaps over the joint.

Compression members 7 formed of fiber board bent in the form. shown are secured on the bottom of the cell by adhesive or staples, and these form abutments for fixing the position of the side flaps and for preventing the crushing in of the sides. The abutments are left open at their ends so that the packing material may be inserted within them. For packing the cell I have found that fibrillated redwood bark is suitable, and for each cubic foot of space I use about 72 ounces of the bark just-as it comes from the shredding machines, that is to sav, containing both long hair-like fibers and dust-like particles. When the packing 8 is condensed to the degree indicated, it does not condense or shake down any further during the ham dling of the cells.

After the packing fiber is arranged in the box the up or side fla s are preferably secured by a hosive to tile tops of the abutmeuts. thcupper end flaps secured to the side flu is and the upper sealing strip applied. lhe cell is now ready for the waterproofing uud this is done preferably by aintmg or mopping the surface with aspha tum. A heavy utumiuous paint dissolved in a volatile solvent. or other suitable waterproof compound mav be used. After a slication of tho asphaltum, the surface is ustcd over with wood flour to prevent the cells sticking to other before use. Wood flour is preform since it does not prevent the coalescing of the asphaltum coating with the asphaltum used later in layingup the cells in a wall.

In Fi ure 3 I have shown how the cells (I in the vertical walls of a cold last tier.

storage room. The outer* wall 12 against Which the cells 13 are to be placed is coated with hot asphaltum and the cells are pushed firmly to a seat. One or more tiers of cells are thus built up with a coating or thin layer 14of asphaltum between thecells and I the wall and over the inner surface of the This asphaltum used in laying up the cells combines readily with that already covering the cell so that a perfect waterproof coating surrounds the cells, which are held securely together. To prevent mechanical injury to the cells an inside sheathing15 is provided.

Insteadof mopping the cell with asphaltum to waterproof it, I may/enclose the cell in a sealed wrapper Waterproofed by saturation in a bituminous compound.

In laying up the cells, it is desirable to break joints. Fractional size cells will therefore be needed for this purpose as well,

as to fill in spaces of odd size. These may usually be supplied by cutting the cells to the desired size and sealing the cut ends 'my hand at San Francisco, California, this with heavy paper and asphalturh.

I claim:

1. An insulating unit comprising a cell, and a packing of fibrillated redwood bark arranged within said cell.

2. An insulating unit comprising a cell,

'.means for hermetically sealing said cell, and a packing of heat insulatin material within said cell, said packing be g of minimum density requisite to preclude further condensing thereof when in use.

3. An insulating unit comprising a fiber board cell, and a packing within. said cell of substantially 72 ounces of fibrillated red Wood bark to each cubic foot'of enclosed space.

4. An insulating unit comprising a fiber board-cell, fiber board abutments arranged between opposite walls of said cell, a packing of loose heat insulating material disposed in said cell to completely fill the same, and a sheathing of, waterproof material overlying the surface of said unit.

5. An insulating unit comprising a fiber board cell, a "coating of bituminous compound on said cell, a packing of heat insulating material within said cell and a coating of wood flour over said bituminous coating.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 20th day of December, 1919.

In presence of C. S. EVANS. 

